1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to packages for storing an electrode pad of a medical device such as an automatic or semi-automatic external defibrillator (AED), and more particularly to a package that comes free of the electrode-pad lead while or after one opens the package. In one embodiment of the invention, one peels apart the portion of the package seam through which the lead extends to free the package from the lead.
2. Description of the Prior Art
AEDs have saved many lives in non-hospital settings, and, as a result of advances in AED technology, the number of lives saved per year is rising. Typically, an AED analyzes a patient's heart rhythm and instructs an operator to administer an electrical shock to the patient if appropriate. For example, a shock can often revive a patient who is experiencing ventricular fibrillation (VF). Because older models of AEDs include only basic diagnostic and safety features, they are often difficult to operate. Therefore, only specially trained persons such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) can use these older models to administer shocks to patients. Newer models, however, often include advanced diagnostic and safety features that allow minimally trained persons to administer shocks to patients. Consequently, more people are using AEDs to save lives.
Because a heart rhythm that responds to an electrical shock can cause permanent damage or death within a short time if left untreated, an AED operator should be able to set up and use an AED to shock a patient within seconds after the operator arrives at the scene. Statistically, for each minute that a person is in cardiac arrest and is not receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), his/her chance of survival decreases by 10%. And in most cases, there is no chance for resuscitation after 10 minutes. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to administer CPR. And, even in the best of circumstances, it can take a few minutes to retrieve the AED and a few additional minutes for the AED to diagnose and shock the patient. Therefore, even if the patient is discovered immediately, the operator often has little time to remove the defibrillator electrode pads from their package, attach the pads to the patient, connect the pads to the AED, and activate the AED without further decreasing the patient's chances of survival. Clearly, the faster the operator can set up and activate the AED, the more likely it is that the patient will survive.
One way to facilitate faster set up of an AED is to connect the pads to the AED before it is needed to revive a patient. Such pad pre-connection typically shortens the AED setup time by eliminating the operator steps of determining how to connect, and then connecting the pads to the AED. For example, one can store the AED with the pads pre-connected so that the AED will be ready when needed.
FIG. 1 is a view of a conventional defibrillator-electrode-pad storage system 10, which allows pre-connection of defibrillator electrode pads to an AED (FIG. 7). The system 10 includes a package 12 and two defibrillator electrode pads 14a and 14b (shown in phantom line) stored within an interior 16 of the package 12. Electrode-pad leads 18a and 18b extend from a sealed opening 20 in the package 12, and a connector 22 electrically connects the electrode pads 14a and 14b to the AED via the leads 18a and 18b. The package 12 may also include a tear line 24 to facilitate opening of the package. The rears of the pads 14a and 14b each include a conductive layer (not shown), which is typically coated with a contact gel (not shown). The gel provides electrical conduction between a patient (not shown) and the conductive layer and also helps adhere the pads 14a and 14b to the patient. Typically, a release liner is placed over the gel surface of each electrode to prevent the gel from adhering to the package or other electrodes. However, the electrode gel surfaces could also be adhered to the inside surfaces of the package or to a common release liner, shared by both electrodes. Typically, the pads 14a and 14b are viable only while the respective contact gels each maintain a respective moisture level that is at or above a predetermined threshold. Therefore, the package 12 typically limits moisture loss from the package interior 16 to a rate sufficient for maintaining adequate moisture in the contact gels for a predetermined period such as one year. The package 12 also protects the pads 14a and 14b from shipping and storage damage, and thus is often ruggedly constructed and reinforced around the opening 20.
During set up of the pre-connected AED, the operator (not shown) tears the top of the package 12 off at the tear line 24, removes the pads 14a and 14b from the package interior 16 via the torn-open top of the package 12, and attaches the pads 14a and 14b to a patient (not shown).
Referring to FIG. 2, one problem with the defibrillator-electrode-pad storage system 10 is that after the operator (not shown) opens the package 12, it remains attached to the leads 18a and 18b, and thus may hinder the operator (not shown) as he/she attempts to revive the patient (not shown). For example, the package 12 may distract the operator, who may waste valuable seconds trying to remove the package from the leads 18a and 18b. Moreover, the package 12 may obscure the operator's view of the AED (FIG. 7) or the patient, or may get in the operator's way as he/she attempts to access the AED or the patient.
Unfortunately, it is often difficult and time consuming to remove the package 12 from the leads 18a and 18b. The package 12 is often ruggedly constructed and reinforced around the opening 20, it is typically difficult for an operator (not shown) to free the package 12 from the leads 18a and 18b. And although an operator may have the strength or a cutting tool (e.g., scissors) to free the package 12 from the leads 18a and 18b, this would typically waste valuable seconds of rescue time and possibly damage the leads. Furthermore, although an operator may have the strength or a tool to widen the opening 20 enough to slip the package 12 over the connector 22, he/she would have to disconnect the connector from the AED (FIG. 7) and thus lose the time saved by pre-connection.
Consequently, there is a need for a package that can be quickly and easily removed from the leads of electrode pads and that also protects and maintains the viability of the pads.